Bacardi launches Bacardi O, to focus on Tier II, III cities

BANGALORE: Bacardi Limited, leading global premium spirit manufacturers, today announced the launch of Barcardi `O', orange-flavoured rum in Karnataka and its growth strategy of focussing on Tier II and III markets in the country.

"Karnataka is the first market in India where the product has been introduced. We plan to subsequently roll it out in Andhra Pradesh and hope to go national by end of the fourth quarter", Arvind Krishnan, Controller-Marketing, Barcadi Martini India Limited told reporters here today.

"The flavours category has been a fast moving one within the white spirits segment and introduction of Bacardi O perfectly fits into our growing portfolio of premium, international offerings to the experimental consumers of today", he said while launching the product.

This is the fourth flavour introduced apart from its current protfolio, with lemon, apple and razz variant. With citrus based flavours popular in the country, especially down South,the new variant is expected to find many takers,he said.

The spirit firm is also looking at the imminent launch of their golden rum Bacardi gold in Karnataka in couple of weeks "It would be a heavy-aged rum", he said.

On the growth strategy, he said the firm was looking at Tier II and III cities from where it expects its future growth to come from. The firm has focussed on 19 smaller cities where it has launched promotional events.

"These markets are growing. There is a double digit growth in the white spirit market in these cities", he said.